Method of navigating in foggy weather



(No Model.)

FRANK DELLA TORRE.

METHOD OF NAVIGATING IN POGGY WEATHER.

No. 350,608. Patented Oct. 12, 1886.

/-5Z T mt ness ea Inn/e n10).

W QMM/Z. 9 M

' UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK DELLA 'ronnn, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

METHOD OF NAVIGATING IN FO'GGY WEATHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,608, dated October 12, 1886.

Application filed December 4:, 1885. Serial No. 184.682. (-lSo inodeLl To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK DELLA TORRE, of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in the Method of Navigating Vessels in Foggy XVeather; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

Attempts have heretofore been made and various expedients have been resorted to in the endeavor to devise a method or system whereby the dangers attending the navigationof shallow coast or inland waters during the prevalence of a fog or at night, in the absence of "fixed lights or other visual signals, could be avoided or lessened in a material degree. No

2: competent means have heretofore been devised for accomplishing this very desirable result, audit is still found desirable, if not absolutely necessary, on the score of safety to both life and property, to practically suspend navigation during the prevalence of fog.

Myprcsent invention has for its object to provide a practicable method or system for navigating vessels in foggy weather with comparative safety, and it is based upon the discovery and application of a novel method of utilizing reflected-sound signals or echoes for determining the position of a vessel and the course to be pursued in cases where visual signals of allikinds would be unavailable for the purpose.

As heretofore stated, and as will -presently be explained, the invention comprehends the novel method whereby this result is produced or brought about, and the accompanying drawings are merely designed as an aid in illustrating the principle of said invention, "Fig. 1 representing diagrammatic view of a portion of a harbor or river with signal orindication stations.

As preliminary to the practicing of my in vention, and as auxiliary thereto, it is necessary to provide, construct, or furnish the following instrnmentalitics: first, a chart of the 4 locality, such as is usually employed by navigators; second, the location at intervals upon or-about prominent points, suitablyindicat-ed tance 0t" any obstacle "or obstruction upon the water, and said method Ipropose to utilize in carrying out my present invention, which, as before stated, is based upon my discoveries relative to the'availability of the echo as a signaling medium for this purpose.

producing stations along the course to be traversed, (and each of said stations may be composed of one or --more reflecting surfaces or bodies; each occupying a special andpredetermined relation to the other and to that part of the channel nearest-to them, so that the observer can discriminate between the echoes produced at different points, and thereby 10- echo or reflected sound is heard,) and having indicated their position upon the chart, so that the navigator will be enabledto locateeach station by the echo, the person occupying the position of observer operates the signaling apparatus-such as a whistle, bell, or equivalent sound-producing device-located upon the vessel, and it the latter is in proximity to land or a'dangcrous point in the course the sound 'will be reflected and an echo produced by the signal device located at or in the vicinity of the obstruction, and by-observing the be enabled to ascertain by reference to his chart which station he is approaching, and by the aid of the compass he can determine not only'his position upon the chart, but the proper course to pursue to avoid the obstacle.

Having established a complete series of echo-' upon the chart, of a series of sound reficetors No. 299,968, dated June.

ence and determining the"location -and dis;

cate the particular station from whence the characteristics of the echo he will ICQ By pursuing this method theco'ursc' to be i usually employed for visual signals.

traversed can be accurately traced during the prevalence of a fog so dense as to obscure all visual. signals, and the navigation of bays, rivers, &c., can be continued in safety, where otherwise it would be attended with great difficul'ty and-danger.

' The means which may be adopted .foridenti tying the several stations are numerous and obvious. Thus the direction from where the echo proceeds, its repetition at given intervals and from divers directions may all be produced by the-arrangement, location, and relative position of the reflectors employed, and the latter may, if desired, be located on land or anchored in position above the surface of the water, or even attached to the buoys The variety of characteristic echo-signals that may thus be produced by well-known means and by co mbi n'ati ons' ot' echos are very nu merous. For instance, a device such as shown in Fig. 2

I 7 might be employed, consisting of two reflecti'ng-surfaces, c 0, one slightly above and back will consist of 'two short of the other, in which case the echo received sharp'sounds or any other suit-able devices may be employed-such the art-for giving a characteristic echo.'

' In the accompanying drawings the full lines, Figure 1, represent the shore of a bay or banks v of a river and the dotted lines the channel.

sition to create a double echo. approaches and passes the first station, B, the

Fig.3? shows a device for producing a charac-' t'eristic echo, used to distinguish the particular reflecting device.

A designatesa vessel approaching the bay, and B reflectors located-one on each side-at the entrance and at a considerable distance apart, so that the navigator, sailing ,by compass, will be able to ascertain from the direction of the echo to which sidev the channel or entrance lies.

Cdesignates the second echo station furnished with two reflectors, the one located some distancein rear of the other and in po- As'the vessel navigator determines his course by the compass, and proceeding until the double echo of station 0 is observed "'he approaches the lastnamed station to within a given or determinate distance, (which latter is ascertained by the di- -reiction of the sound received-and the length of time elapsin'g before the echo is received,) when the course of the vesseliis again changed and pursued until the echo from station 1) is observed,

and so v on throughout thewhole course. Where the channelis particularly tortuous or narrow, as at E in the drawings, it is desirable that a signal station should be provided of such character as to enable the navigator to I readily ascertain the center of the; channel and thisis accomplished by locating a reflector, e, on each side and at .or aboutequal .as-well as during a fog,

and, third, causing a any given signal-station,

"course to be sailed.

thereby establishing another. point,

distances from the center of the channel. I

- navigator is not only warned of his dangerous position, but is provided with the means whereby to correct his course, as by steering in the direction of the second echo and away from the first until the two echoes are merged and produce an impression as of a single echo, which point will be reached when the reflectors are equidistant from the vessel,'thus bringing the latter in the channel. A signal system such as this can be utilized with good efl'ect for navigating 'narrow or tortuous channels both in clear weather and in the day-time for by its use, either alone or in connection with visible objects, the vessel can be guided through the center of the channel and any departure quickly and accurately noted andas readily corrected.

The distance intervening between the vessel and any reflector or echo-signal station can readilybe ascertained by the application of well-known rules for determining the rate of sound-transmission. i Y Having .thus described my invention, what I claim as new is-- 1. The herein-described improved method for facilitating the navigation of shallow coast or inland waters which consists in, first, establishing a series of signal stations at predetermined points; second, locating their position upon a chart of the particular locality; sound-producing device to be operated upon the vessel in a manner to produce an echo or series of echoes byreflec tion from the signal-stations, whereby the observer is enabled to ascertain his proximity to and by reference to the chart can determine his position and proper -2. The herein-described: n etliod oi nav igating narrow or tortuous channels, which consists in locating sound reflectorsupon opposite sides and equidistant fromv the center of the channel, operatingasound-producer upon the vessel and determining the course to be sailed by reference to the successive echoes as observed upon .the said vesseland by the said reflectors, as set forth.

3. As an improvement in the art 'of navigating shallow coast or ployment of a series of sound-reflectors or echo-signal stations located'at predetermined intervals, and a sound-producer upon the vessel, and ascertaining theposition of said vessel with respect to said station or stations atgiight or during a fog,-

produced inland waters, the emv through the medium of the echo-signals so by each station'cau be located by means of its produced, as and for the purpose set forth. echo as received upon a passing vessel, subto 4. lIn a, system f0}: navigating shallfow coast stantially as described. v 1 or in an waters, t e employment 0 a series 5 of stations composed of sound-reflectors lo- FRANK DELLA TORRE' catedat predetermined points for producing Witnesses: echo-signals,each ofsaid stationsbeiugadapted A. S. STEUART, to producea characteristic echo'-signal,where- THOMAS DURANT. 

